Warehouse Goods Lift for E-Commerce Fulfilment Centre in Chakan MIDC
⚠ The Challenge
The client operates a 60,000 sq ft e-commerce fulfilment centre in Chakan MIDC, serving as a regional hub for a major online marketplace. To maximise storage density, they had installed a steel mezzanine floor 4 metres above the ground level, doubling their picking area. However, the two inclined belt conveyors connecting the mezzanine could only handle small parcels — anything over 15 kg or larger than 400mm required manual carry down a staircase. During festive-season peaks (Diwali, Big Billion Days), the staircase became a dangerous bottleneck with workers carrying heavy totes up and down 48 steps every 2 minutes. The client needed a goods lift solution that could handle 300+ tote movements per shift without interrupting the conveyor flow.
✔ Our Solution
Nio Equipment installed two warehouse goods lifts at opposite ends of the mezzanine — one for upward flow (inbound receiving to mezzanine storage) and one for downward flow (mezzanine picking to ground-floor packing stations). Each lift has 1.5-tonne capacity, 4.5-metre travel height and a through-type door configuration (entry from one side, exit from the other) to enable one-directional flow without turning. The 2m × 1.5m platforms accommodate standard cage trolleys loaded with 8-10 totes each. Push-button call stations at both levels allow any operator to summon the lift. Cycle time is under 45 seconds for a full up-down trip, and interlocked doors prevent access while the platform is in motion.
Key Results
The Challenge
Chakan MIDC, located 30 km north of Pune, has rapidly evolved from an automotive manufacturing hub into a major logistics and warehousing corridor. The Pune-Nashik highway proximity, available large-format plots and relatively lower rentals compared to Mumbai have attracted dozens of e-commerce fulfilment centres, 3PL warehouses and cold-chain facilities. This particular client runs a 60,000 sq ft fulfilment centre handling 5,000-8,000 orders per day for a leading online marketplace.
To maximise storage density without expanding their footprint, the client installed a mezzanine floor at 4-metre height — effectively doubling their picking area. Two inclined belt conveyors handle small parcel flow between levels. But the conveyors have a 15 kg weight limit and a 400mm size constraint, meaning larger items (kitchen appliances, fitness equipment, bulk grocery packs) must be moved manually. During regular operations, workers made 80-100 manual staircase trips per shift. During festive-season peaks, this surged to 300+, causing fatigue injuries and dispatch delays.
Our Solution
Nio Equipment designed a twin-lift configuration: one goods lift at the receiving end (north wall) for inbound tote flow to the mezzanine, and another at the dispatch end (south wall) for outbound flow to ground-floor packing stations. This separation prevents congestion and maintains the client's one-directional flow principle — materials always move in one direction through the facility.
Each lift features through-type doors: the operator loads from one side at ground level and unloads from the opposite side at mezzanine level (or vice versa). This eliminates the need to turn cage trolleys inside the lift — the trolley rolls straight in and straight out. The 2m × 1.5m platform fits a standard cage trolley loaded with 8-10 totes. Full-cycle time (load, travel, unload) is under 60 seconds, supporting the 300+ movements per shift target.
Installation at Chakan MIDC
The installation presented a unique challenge: the client could not shut down fulfilment operations. Nio Equipment executed a phased installation — the north-end lift was installed first over 10 days while the south end operated normally, then the south-end lift was installed over the following 10 days. Each installation required cutting through the mezzanine floor plate for the shaft opening, reinforcing the surrounding steel structure and casting a shallow pit (300mm depth) for flush platform alignment.
Nio Equipment's Bhosari facility is 25 km from Chakan MIDC, enabling daily project management visits and rapid delivery of materials. The entire twin-lift project was completed in under 4 weeks with zero disruption to the client's daily fulfilment operations.
Results and Impact
The twin goods lifts now handle 300+ tote movements per shift, completely eliminating manual staircase carrying. Order fulfilment cycle time dropped by 30% during peak season — the staircase bottleneck was the single largest constraint on their festive-season throughput. Staircase-related injuries, which had averaged 4-6 per festive season, have dropped to zero.
An unexpected benefit: mezzanine storage utilisation jumped from 60% to 90%. Previously, warehouse staff avoided storing heavy or bulky items on the mezzanine because carrying them downstairs was impractical. With the goods lifts, every SKU can now be stored at mezzanine level regardless of weight, significantly improving space utilisation. Both lifts have been operating 18 hours per day, 6 days per week for 8 months with zero unplanned downtime.
“During Diwali peak, we were doing 8,000 orders a day and both lifts ran non-stop for 18 hours. Not a single breakdown. That reliability during peak season is what matters in our business — one hour of downtime costs us lakhs in missed dispatches.”— Operations Manager, 3PL Fulfilment Centre, Chakan MIDC